Posted on 02/26/2015 1:19:24 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
Author and conservative firebrand Ann Coulter was not invited to speak at this year's Conservative Political Action Conference, marking the first time in several years that she was not scheduled to attend in an official capacity.
Coulter is usually a popular speaker at the annual conference -- it's the largest gathering of conservatives in the U.S. held this weekend just outside of Washington, D.C. -- where she has delivered well-received speeches and signed her books for fans.
"I wasn't invited," Coulter confirmed in an email Thursday to the Washington Examiner media desk. "I might just show up anyway just to piss them off. I could be the Bibi Netanyahu of CPAC." (The Netanyahu mention is a reference to a controversial invite from congressional Republicans to the Israeli prime minister to address Congress.)
Coulter, apparently confused by the snub from conference organizers, said she has been voted "best speaker" by attendees in previous years.
Lisa De Pasquale, who served as the conference director from 2006 to 2011, confirmed that attendees surveyed after the conference ended consistently chose Coulter as the most popular speaker. "You can definitely quote me on that," said Pasquale.
Dave Hemsath sets up a booth selling books by conservative authors each year at the conference. He told the Examiner that her books tend to sell particularly well among attendees. "She's my best seller," he said. He also said he didn't want to "speak out of turn" but that he's "sorry" he won't be able to sell as many of her books this year, as he didn't bring as many as usual due to her absence from the speaker schedule.
Coulter's strained relationship with conference organizers was also evident at last year's event. She said at the time that she was not invited to speak until two weeks before the conference and that it was sprung on her that instead of a solo speaking slot, she was only offered time used to "debate" a liberal speaker.
The conference is a big draw for Republican voters and conservatives. Several potential GOP presidential candidates are at this year's event to deliver speeches and answer questions, including Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.
Two separate spokesmen for the conference did not return requests for comment.
Any speculation as to why this state of affairs exists?
She has proven herself all too willing to give up what should be her core values for pragmatism, usually that accomplishes nothing. This annoys conservatives.
Ann “Romney’s-The-Only-One-Who-Can-Win” Coulter
Hmm. Don’t care.
After almost a decade of her pushing the ultimate anti-Reagan politician, Mitt Romney, perhaps they just figured that it wasn’t important to hear from her this year.
Not surprised. They probably don’t want to pay for ear plugs to block out Butch Coulter’s strident and head-bursting vocal emanations.
Because of so many possible candidate speakers ?
Did she tell someone “no”?
The should invite Brigitte Gabriel or Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Or both!
Personally, I soured on her after her embrace of Mitt Romney and Chris Christie (the latter no mean feat).
Then she sealed the deal by condemning Samaritan’s Purse Missionary Kent Brantley over his Ebola efforts. A lot of conservatives wrote her off after that.
Coulter is GOPEstablishment, and she is not useful for JEB or whomever, at the moment, so she doesn’t get invited.
I don’t know why I didn’t see it in terms of her research, years ago. Her Palin stance is, and always has been, the giveaway.
The attendees didn't feel like suffering cognitive dissonance this year.
“I could be the Bibi Netanyahu of CPAC”
Ann,
You’re no Bibi Netanyahu.
She backed the guy that essentially prototyped Obamacare in his home state and made the scheme a product of ‘Conservatism’, as a result.
Neither one wants to admit to prior bad acts.
As such, no invite.
Precisely. She will inevitably support the RINO.
Stop.
CPAC is not about Conservatism.
She jumped the shark quite a while ago.
Yep.
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